Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-05-12
THE EVIDENCE
Adduced Before the Coroners's Jury Dur
ing Yesterday.

ing Yesterday.
Justice William NJ. Lee recommended
the taking of testimony shortly after ten
o'clock in the little brick school house re-
moved but about fifty yards from the
building in which the murders were com-
mitted. The jury had been little slow
in getting together, and after they had all
arrived some little time WAS spent in talk
ing over the universal topic before going to
work at the task of fixing the responsibility
of the deed. The crowd, much smaller
than one would naturally expect to be
present, slowly dritted into the school
room. and scattered around among the
desks of the pupils, or sat upon the benches
along the walls The jury occupied long
bench in front of the blackboard, while
Justice Lee and his clerk occupied seats at
a small table on the side Of the room next
10 the Baker residence.
At 1890 the roll of the Jury was called,
and all bing present the question of
whether or not the general public would
be admitted was brought up, and the jury
decided that no one except newspaper re-
porterS. the officers and witnesses should
De allowed in the room during the taking
of evidence This matter being settled,
DR.. NJ. X. Morris WAS called as the first
witness. Mr. William Brown, the fore
man. interrogated the witness. In response
to his questions, DR.. Morris said he had
written out the result of his examination
of the bodies. He read this us follows:
DIR. NORRIS.
After making careful examination OF
the bodies ofMrs. McWha aud Mrs. Baker,
found five serious wounds upon the body
OF Mrs. McWha. Either one of three Of
those wounds would be sufficient to pro-
duce death, in my opinion. There was a
bruiSe on the left side OF the neck Of Mrs.
McWha, made with blunt instrument. The
Welding character of the muscles was such
that it did not break the skin. There
were three wounds behind the left ear, the
upper wound involving the upper portion
OF the ear, that seemingly were made with
some blunt instrument. Bolt shown !.
The head OF this bolt fitted the wound upon
the muscles OF the neck, and also the
wound upon the left eat. ! found 4
wound located about four inches from the
eve. through the left temporal muscle, and
the corner Of the head ot the bolt filled it.
This blow fractured the skull. The cut
was not an incised wound, but bruised
and torn. 4 SpiculG of bone had been de-
tached from the skull. In my opinion the
bolt was the weapon used in making the
wounds. | found an inciSed wound one
half to two inches in length, on the back
of the head, separating the Occipital mus
Gle and penetrating the skull. 1t was u
clean, incised wound, made with
an axe, or some other heavy
instrumeut-not with the bolt. This
wound seemed to have been made different
from the other wounds. On the front Of
the head, on the temporal muscle on the
right side, there was another wound, as
though it had been cut with the corner of
the bolt. The skull had been penetrated,
and specEla of bone had been brought TO
the surface That WAS as far as the wounds
went upon Mrs. McWha, except q slight
bruise upon the knee. 4 night cap had
been put upon the head wrongSide before.
1t was down over one eye. There were no
rents or tears in the cap corresponding
to the wounds. The cap had been placed
upon the head after the murder had been
committed Mrs. McWha had on a chem
ise. petticoat and drawers; no other gar
ment. There was no deposit of hood or
coagulated blood upon these; but
there were smeary marks of
blood-simply sOiled, as though from the
carpet. There were no marks OF trickling
or dripping.
"I found Mrs. Baker lying upon the
BODY of her mother, face down. Her head
was covered with a night cap, also put on
wrongside before Her night cap waE tied
in bow knot, very tightly-much tighter
than one could bear, living. There were
no incisious OF holes of any kind in the cap.
ICaps produced, very bloody. This one
is Mrs. Bakers cap. On removing the
cap found five distinct inGised wounds
They were all clear cut and deep, ranging
from one inch to two and one-half inches
in length, probably more. ] think all
penetrated the skull. The largest eut was
on the right temporal muscle. There was